South Africa is seeking potential minority investors and access to capital markets and loan financing for South African Airways for more rapid expansion, following the collapse of a previous equity deal, the national flag carrier’s interim Chairman Derek Hanekom said on local broadcaster eNCA. The airline had to revise its expansion plans after talks were scrapped and has now delayed opening more international routes to London, Frankfurt and North America, Hanekom said. The South African government had planned to dispose of 51% of SAA to Takatso group — made up of closely held Global Airways and private equity firm Harith General Partners — before the deal was called off last month. The transaction would have resulted in a 3b rand ($157m) cash injection for the airline, which previously emerged from lengthy bankruptcy proceedings following years of state bailouts. “If we are able to get capital from whatever source, then we may be able to expand more rapidly,” Hanekom said on eNCA. The airline is currently growing at a slow but sustainable rate, with no government subsidies, he added. Within the next financial year, SAA will grow its fleet from 13 to 21 aircraft, Hanekom said. The airline has added a number of routes into Africa, as well as some international routes to Sao Paulo and Perth, Australia, he said. The search for permanent executives for SAA and some of its units is underway, Hanekom also said. <br/>
star
All Nippon Airways will partner with Air India to offer codeshare flights from late May, seeking to claim 40% of passenger traffic between the two countries as India is expected to become the third largest aviation market after China and the U.S. Codesharing will begin on ANA's Haneda-Delhi and Narita-Mumbai routes as well as on Air India's Narita-Delhi route. Both Haneda and Narita airports serve Tokyo. This marks the company's first codeshare arrangement with a major Indian airline in five years, following its collaboration with Jet Airways, which ceased operations in 2019 due to financial difficulties. Codesharing is an arrangement in which carriers sell tickets on flights operated by partner airlines, treating them as their own routes. It improves convenience for customers and increases passenger load factors for airlines. ANA and Air India are both Star Alliance members. Partnering with Air India will boost ANA's share of passenger traffic between Japan and India to 40%, compared with an estimated 20% for rival Japan Airlines. ANA hopes to leverage the partnership in international flights to eventually operate domestic codeshare flights in India. India has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years, mainly in manufacturing and technology. ANA wants to operate codeshare flights on domestic routes connecting cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai, where foreign companies have expanded, while also bringing Indian tourists to Japan. Expectations are high for strong growth in India's aviation market, as the country boasts the world's largest population and a vast land area. Domestic air passengers in 2023 totaled about 150m, up 20% from the previous year and exceeding the roughly 140m in 2019. The IATA rld's third-largest aviation market after China and the U.S. by 2030.<br/>
Technicians at a company that repairs and maintains Air India Ltd. aircraft have called off a strike planned for Tuesday, easing concerns that the industrial action could spark a renewed bout of travel chaos. Staff at AI Engineering Services Ltd. — a state-run company that counts Air India as its top client — won’t go ahead with their plans after management agreed to meet some of their demands. That includes revisions to workers’ pay by the end of the month and offering career progression opportunities by May 31, according to a joint letter from the company’s chief human resources officer and the union secretary seen by Bloomberg News. The new measures will be valid for four years, it said. The move offers some respite for India’s aviation industry. Travel plans were thrown into disarray earlier this month after Vistara, jointly owned by Air India’s owner Tata Group and Singapore Airlines Ltd., was forced to cancel more than 100 flights in the course of about a week after pilots called out sick en masse due to complaints about fatigue and pay cuts. While the widespread cancellations have ceased, the airline cut back 25 to 30 flights a day to create a buffer in its rosters. Air India pilots joined their Vistara counterparts in complaining of being overworked and underpaid, saying the issues are systemic across Tata’s aviation empire. AI Engineering’s staff previously said they were upset over a lack of career advancement opportunities, including not being promoted for seven years. And while management promised a revised pay structure for technicians who have worked for at least two years with the firm<br/>